


At Rest

by mythomagicallydelicious



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Isolation, Starvation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-31 20:31:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21151787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mythomagicallydelicious/pseuds/mythomagicallydelicious
Summary: Caduceus tends what needs tending and waits.





	At Rest

**Author's Note:**

> Did this on mobile, so my tags won't come thru. The reference to starvation is brief and he comes out of it fine.

Caduceus taps the earth with his staff. He speaks a few words of prayer and feels the magic of a warm breeze lift the hair from his shoulder and stir the ends of his tunic as it flows to the ground before him. Mushrooms and strange flowers break through the dirt and come up faster than nature typically orders. Caduceus says a few words of thanks as he tilts his head to one side to inspect the newly granted life.

Daily he tends to the plant life in the Blooming Grove, gently coaxing the most filling of the edible plants up. He ensures everything on the property stays as healthy as it can, and watches the sickness of the Savalier Wood try and creep into his home.

He worries, but trusts that it will not completely overtake him. He cuts the food closest to the forest, though still out of reach of the creeping tendrils of the sickness, first. He prepares a simple meal for himself with a pot of fresh tea from the relatively newer family. The Mylaers. They are a bland blend, but somehow remind him of a type of bread his aunt used to fix for the family, sometimes.

He checks over the Grove every day, healing a patch of land here and there, sending the Wildmother's energy out into her realm in hopes of preventing the dark spread.

He heals himself in the bitterly cold winter months. He did not store enough food for himself, and besides that, it is not stretching like it used to. He heals himself in place of a daily meal and for a moment as the magic settles over him he feels as if he has had a meal prepared by Corrin, rich with flavor even in its simplicity.

He has taken to casting the spell just before he goes to bed, to let the feeling lull him into sleep before his body realizes how hungry it is.

When spring comes he coaxes the health and vitality back to the garden and smiles in relief as the bleak weather passes. His wonderful friends have finished hibernating, and he has someone to talk to again. Spring time is for new life, for new resolutions. For new purposes to be unfurled.

And yet another spring passes without a call to follow his family out from the Grove. He feels his stomach growl and taps the earth with his staff to coax what he can with the Wildmother's magic. Mushrooms, mostly.

He drinks tea from an old elven line, and it reminds him of his sisters. He smiles. He encourages the birds in their quest to find debris to make their nests. He kindly asks the rabbits not to nibble on his only food. He doesn't raise a hand to stop them if they ignore him, though. He'll be okay.

He sits among nature and sips his tea. He has the whole chipped set out and ready to be poured into. Just in case.

He hums a tune he heard a bird sing and feels the sun shine on his face. He closes his eyes and waits.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated. 
> 
> As always, please let me know if I missed a tag.
> 
> Thanks for reading!! I'm feeling terrible about a lot in life rn but writing about Caduceus is one small slice of peace in it all.


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